Fusible link for speibtkleb-heads



1,323,422. Patented Dec. 2,1919.

srnfrns a'rniif'r onnien A CHALES L. SWIFT, OF PEABODY, MASSACHUSETTS.

FUSIBLE LINK-FOR SPRINKLER-HEADS.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 2, 1919 Appimation mea March 11, 191e. serial No. 281,920..

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, Ci-iARLns L. SWIFT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Peabody, in thecounty of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements infFusible Links for Sprinkler-Heads, of whichthe following *Y is a specification. Y l

This invention relates to sprinkler heads for stationary lire extinguishing systems of that class in which pipe lines are equipped at suitable intervals with normally closed heads designed to belautomatically opened upon the fusing of an element thereon solas to permit `the discharge; of water from the pipes through said heads and onto the objects in the vicinity of ther pipes.

Y The Yinventionfurther aims to` provide -a sprinkler head of this'type so constructed that the same will act with certaintyand in a highly eflicient manner in the-event offire Yin thevvicinity of the head.

the supply pipe.

A further object of the invention is toprovide a fusible link for sprinkler heads including overlapping plates having offsetportions or shoulders which interengage when the link is in position upon the sprinkler head and serve to prevent undue strain on the fusible material connecting said plates.

A still further object is generally to improve this classof devices so as to increase their utility, durabilityand efiiciency.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a sprinkler head provided vwith a fusible link embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof; Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing in full lines the fusible link in normal position and in dotted lines swung laterally to one side of the supporting frame; e

F'g. l is a side elevation of the fusible link detached, showing in dotted lines the manner in which the plates comprisingV said link are separated upon fusion of the'material vcminecting said plates;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the different elements comprising the head detached.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

ln the drawing, the head is illustrated as comprising aybody portion or nipple 5 having its exterior walls threaded at 6 for conneetion with a water suppl-v pipe indicated at 7. Secured to or formed integral with the nipple 5 is an upstanding yoke or frame- 8 having its upper portion provided with the threaded opening v9 for they reception of the correspondingly threaded shank 10 of a deiiector indicated at 11. AThe deflector 11 maybe of any approvedconstruiction and in the present instance is shown provided with y a depending vscalloped flange l2which serves to deect orspready the water laterally over the'objects in the vicinity .of vthe supply pipes. The top yoke 8 ispreferably provided with a transverse aperture 18 adapted .to receive a pin or otherv locking element, not

shown, for the purpose of holding the defiector inradjustedposition after'it has been set.

rlhe discharge end of the body or nipple 5 isnoimally closed-by a valve including a relatively thin metallic disk 14 and a corl respondingly thick disk 15, the latterhaving its upper surface formed with la depression or socket 17, there being asimilar socket 18 formed in the lowery terminal of the shank 10 of the deflector, as shown. n

VInterposed between the valve and lower terminal of the shank 10 of the sprinkler head are readily separable supporting arms or struts 19 and 2O each provided with a conical extension 21 adapted to fit in the adjacent sockets in the disk 15 and shank 10, respectively'. The upper longitudinal edge of the lower Varm 19 is formed with a substantially V-shaped notch 22 adapted to receive the correspondingly shaped terminal of the upper arm 20, the parts being so arranged that .when the arms are inserted be tween the deiiector and valve, respectively, the notch 22 and the corresponding terminal on the arm 20 will be out of alinement with the axis ofthe head.

Interposed between the free ends of the supporting arms 19 and Q01is a fusible link j preferably constructed in two Vsections 23 and 24, each section being preferably inthe form of a liat plate of the desired width and hlight to be supported between the free ends of t ie arms 19 and 20. The intermediate portion of the link plate or section 24: is offset laterally to provide an approximately square shoulder 25, while the terminal of the adjacent plate or section 23 is bent inwardly to form va correspondingly approximately squared portion or shoulder 26 adapted to normally bear against the shoulder 25 on the link section or plate rlhe plates or link sctions 23 and 2l are normally and temporarily held in close contact with each other by the application of suitable fusible material indicated at 27. The outer ends of the link sections 23 and 2l are provided with apertures 23 adapted to receive the hooked terminals 29 of the supporting arms so as to prevent accidental displacement of the fusible link when once positioned between the arms. The link section or plate 24 preferably overlaps the inating link section 23 for the major portion of the length of the latter so as to reinforce the link and provide an extended surface for the application of the fusible material. The upper end of the link section 2l is also preferably provided with a notch 3() which registers with the adjacent aperture-23 in the link plate 23 to permit the passage of the terminal of the upper arm 20.

rlhe end of the odset portion or shoulder 26 is also preferably curved or rounded, as indicated at 31, so as to form in effect a fulcrum when the material uniting said section is fused, as best shown by dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawings. Y

ln operation the sections of the link properly fused together are interposed between the terminals of the arms 19 and 2() and the deflector 1l rotated so as to actuate the arms 19 and 20 to hold the link in position. In case of excessive heat or hre in the neighborhood of the sprinker head the material uniting the link sections will fuse and owing to the outward rocking movement of the arms 19 and 2O the link sections will separate laterally with the parts rocking in opposite directions on the fulcrum 3l thereby releasing the valve and permitting the water from the supply pipe 5 to come in contact with the deliector and be discharged or deflected laterally over the objects to be protected.

The frame 8 and upper supporting arm 20 are provided with lugs or projections 32 which interengage when the supporting arms are swung laterally and thus prevent the fusible link from coming in contact with the supporting frame and being accidentally displaced as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

It will here be noted that by forming the sections or plates comprising the fusible link with offset portions or shoulders the latter by engagement with each other will prevent undue strain on the fusible material and exert a pulling strain on the link in a straight line passing through the openings in the link sections which receive the ends of the arms and that due to the peculiar formation of the shoulders or odset portions 25 and 26, the link 24 will first fulcrum upon the rounded edge 31 of the link 23 to approximately the extent illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawings and then the said rounded edge of the said link 23 will slip from engagement with the olfset portion or shoulder 25 of the link 24. This tendency for the links to relatively fulcrum will result in a strain tending to separate the united faces of the links in a tearing away manner so that the separation is Y more readily effected than if the resulting strain was such as to separate the links, meanwhile maintaining them in parallelism. Also inasmuch as the link 23 is provided with the rounded edge portion 3l, this edge portion will readily slip from beneath the shoulder provided by the offset 25 without any likelihood of catching or scraping up the fusible bonding material as would likely occur if this edge were more orA less sharp.

It will, of course, be understood that the fusible links may be made in different sizes and shapes and while particularly adaptable for application to sprinkler heads may be used with equally good results for any pur-y pose Vfor which the device is found desirable Y or applicable.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A fusible link comprising sections disposed fa-ce to face, and a fusible bond between the sections uniting their faces, the sections being provided with means whereby they may be connected with stress-exerting elements, one of the sections being offset to provide an approximately square shoulder, and the other section having a deflected end engaging the said shoulder and provided with a rounded terminal edge to fulcrum upon and ride over the shoulder when the bond is fused and as vthe sections separate.

2. The combination with a sprinkler head having coacting strut arms and opposed stress-exerting elements against which the arms are fulcrumed, whereby the tendency is for the outer ends of the arms to swing on arcs in opposite directions, of a fusible link comprising sections disposed face to face. and a fusible bond between the sections uniting their faces, the sections being connected at their outer ends with the said arms, one of the sections being offset near one extremity to provide a shoulder and the other having a deflected end engaging the said shoulder and provided with a terminal portion to fulcrum upon and ride over the shoulder when the bond is fused and as the sections separate, the opposing united faces of the sections from the point of engagement of the deflected end With said shoulder to the other extremities of the sections occupying substantially parallel planes.

3. A fusible link comprising sections disposed face to face, and a fusible bond between the sections uniting their faces, the sections being provided With means whereby they may be connected lWith stress exerting elements, one of the sections being offset near one extremity to'provide a shoulder and the other having a deflected end engaging the said shoulder and provided With a terminal portion to fulcrum upon and ride over the shoulder when the bond is fused and as the sections separate, the opposing CHARLES L. SWIFT. [L 5.] 

